Samyutta Nikaya XXXVI.15
Santaka Sutta
To Ananda (1)
Translated from the Pali by Nyanaponika Thera
Once the Venerable Ananda went to see the
Blessed One. Having saluted him respectfully, he sat down at one side.
Thus seated, he said:
"What are the feelings, O Lord? What is the origin of feelings, what
is their cessation and the way leading to their cessation? What is the
gratification in feelings? What is the danger in feelings? And what is
the escape from them?"
"There are, Ananda, three kinds of feelings: pleasant,
painful and neutral. Through the origin of sense-impression there is origin
of feelings; through the cessation of sense-impression there is cessation
of feelings. It is the noble eightfold path that is the way leading to
the cessation of feelings, namely: right understanding, right thought,
right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness
and right concentration.
"It is the happiness and gladness arising dependent on feelings that
is the gratification in feelings. Feelings are impermanent, (liable to
bring) pain, and are subject to change; this is the danger in feelings.
The removal and the giving up of the desire and lust for feelings is the
escape from feelings.
"I have further taught, Ananda, the gradual cessation of conditioned phenomena
(sankhara). In him who has attained the first meditative absorption,
speech has been stilled. Having attained the second absorption, thought-conception
and discursive thinking has ceased. Having attained the third absorption,
joy has ceased. Having attained the fourth absorption, inhalation and exhalation
have ceased. Having attained the sphere of the infinity of space, perception
of form (matter) has ceased. Having attained the sphere of the infinity
of consciousness, the perception of the sphere of the infinity of space
has ceased. Having attained the sphere of no-thingness, the perception
of the sphere of infinity of consciousness has ceased. Having attained
the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, the perception of
the sphere of no-thingness has ceased. Having attained the cessation of
perception and feeling, perception and feeling have ceased. In a taint-free
monk greed, hatred, and delusion are quietened."